best linebackers of the 2000s

Join our newsletter to get the latest in sports news delivered straight to your inbox. Felder never wowed anyone--not many sacks (he had only three) or interceptions (two). LB Patrick Willis. He went 1-3 in those games. Spikes might be one of the better known names on this list, but he still never gets the credit he’s deserving of. Career Statistics/Accolades: 657 tackles, 171 tackles for loss, 138.5 sacks, 35 forced fumbles, nine-time Pro Bowler, seven-time All-Pro, two-time NFL sacks leader (2008, 2010), two-time Butkus Award winner (2008, 2011), Super Bowl Champion (L), NFL 2000s All-Decade team. Felder was undoubtedly one of the most fundamentally sound linebackers, perhaps the best form tackler on that 2008 squad that dominated the majority of Pac-10 offenses (he led the team in tackles with 93 that season). This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. What can we say? Below are the Wolverines' top linebacker recruits since 2000, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. 2. Wilson recorded 560 tackles and 21.5 sacks as a member of the Broncos. 1, Lawrence Taylor (Giants) (1981-1993) *Ten-time Pro Bowler *Eight-time 1st Team All-Pro *Two-time 2nd . The most productive linebacker on our 2004 dynamic defense, Hunter was second on the team with 70 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 3 sacks and 2 picks. Despite the drug policy suspension (which almost cost him his Rookie of the Year award), Cushing is one of the best young talents in the game right now. As the decade comes to a close, we're creating some Top 10 lists for 2010 to 2019. He was even a decent pass rusher from the middle, with 36.5 sacks in his career. Football fans hear the famous adage literally every year. Had he been a bit more consistent in that category (had three seasons without a single sack), he may have racked up more than 50. Up next, our Top 10 cornerbacks. Bobby Wagner, K.J. The 50 greatest defensive NFL players of all time. In the 2000s the players had evolved a lot with the speed and the power of every player. While two players transferred to other programs, most players on the list went on to . Note: I chose my top ten list based on a variety of different factors such as the team around the player, personal statistics (accumulated from 2000-09), playing style, leadership and even reputation. Barnett was a beast in his own right, and had a very respectable 11 season career. 14 long and dominant seasons at MLB, and absolutely no accolades. 2000-08 stats: 526 tackles, 18.5 sacks, 11 INT, 11 FF. In Where Men Win Glory, Jon Krakauer reveals how an entire country was deliberately deceived by those at the very highest levels of the US army and government. Desmond Bishop (215 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 3 pass breakups, 3 interceptions), . Levon Kirkland (1992-2000) Levon Kirkland was a driving force on a really good linebacking corps that got the Steelers to the Super Bowl in 1995. Lewis has it all: physical ability, vast football knowledge (and instincts) and leadership. Nixon's 2001 Big Game performance is something to behold: 10 tackles, a fumble recovery, a blocked field goal. One thing to notice: No one who played in 2020 made the list. Tagged 2000s sack leaders, best outside linebackers of the 2000s, best Steelers defensive players, best Steelers players ever, best undrafted players in NFL history, decade of dominance, James Harrison Super Bowl interception, James Harrison vs. Joey Porter, NFL Defensive Player of the Year undrafted, Porter or Harrison, Sports debates, sports . 1 linebacker of the 2023 recruiting class has released his top 12 schools. I once again will be going over every position on offense and defense to who I think were the best NFL players of the 1990s. Chuck Noll: His Life’s Work tells the story of a private man in a very public job. It explores the family ties that built his character, the challenges that defined his course, and the love story that shaped his life. Short and Harris were later teammates with the St. Louis Rams after his stellar career as a linebacker with Penn State. A 2000s All-Decade pick, Williams was one of the best defensive tackles of his era. Examines the potential regional implications of an independent Kurdistan in northern Iraq. // -->. Using the code will get you 20% off of your order AND free shipping. 8. His 2006 season was probably the greatest by a linebacker this decade--126 tackles, almost 10 tackles per game, and averaged 11.2 tackles per game down the stretch. Jack Lambert is the best Steelers linebacker of all time. And here are the 25 greatest linebackers in NFL history: 25. Pace was an edge rush type linebacker that a lot of people forget about. Other notable names include Gerald McCoy, Billy Bowman, Clayton Smith, and more. Best Miami Dolphins linebackers since the year 2000. As the decade comes to a close, we're creating some Top 10 lists for 2010 to 2019. Lewis earned his way on to eight Pro Bowl and six All-Pro teams in the decade despite playing in six or less games in '02 and '05. Link icon Copied! In his no-holds-barred memoir, Sapp Attack!, Warren Sapp, one of the NFL's most hilarious and candid personalities, reveals a side of football most fans have never before seen. Big Man. Big Talent. Big Star. Big Mouth. Big Heart. Up next, our Top 10 cornerbacks. 8 total 100 tackle seasons, 19 career picks, 4 Defensive TDs. He had six tackles in 9 of 12 games in 2008, coupled with nine tackles in nine of 13 games in 2007. 7. Of course there have been great linebackers pre-2000 but I feel like we can consider this the "modern" era if you will. My first look at the decade will center on the linebacker position, which is, by far, the most important position on the defensive side of the ball. And the OU teams he played for weren't great, ,but Carl McAdams was a very good college linebacker. Joe Ayoob's teammate at the College City of San Francisco, Bishop ended up stealing the spotlight from the much-maligned quarterback. He also notched two of the most critical defensive plays of the past decade--sacking Jacory Harris to set up the go-ahead touchdown in the 2008 Emerald Bowl, and most famously blindsiding Erik Ainge to jar the ball lose for Williams's TD return in our revenge match with Tennessee. Keep in mind these stats by Desmond were logged in TWO YEARS. That part is easy. THE STORY: Sport produces great human drama and there is no greater sports icon to bring to theatrical life than Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi, unquestionably one of the most inspirational and quotable personalities of all time ... His 2001 campaign was solid on a winless team--60 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3 passes broken up, 1 quarterback hurry, 2 forced fumbles. 2000-09 stats: 866 tackles, 23.5 sacks, 21 INT, 12 FF. He had 16 tackles on top of that for his best performance in blue and gold. Ricky Williams. Defensive End Jason Taylor, who was considered to be somewhat of a risk coming out of the University of Akron, led the NFL in sacks during . Between the year 2000 - 2009 there were a lot of players that made a huge impact in the NFL and in my opinion some… His most famous play came when he stepped into a Carl Bonnell pass in overtime and sealed the epic 2006 Washington game. Every full season he played he had over 100 tackles. NFL's ALL-DECADE TEAM OF THE 2000s - DEFENSE. Rich Gabrielson-Icon Sportswire. Bruschi won three Super Bowls with New England in the 2000s and played a vital role in all three. Among the best is former five-star defensive tackle Tommie Harris. In all those seasons, he barely missed any time, starting at least 11 games in every season but one. This is a guy that really did a little bit of everything. I hope I didn't miss any obvious ones, I'm only one person. 10.) LIFEembedDrawImage2('1427851','174'); Many game clinching sacks, terrorizing Mark Sanchez more than once. Urlacher was used in many different ways and mastered the art of tackling. The No. Only Chris Spencer has had a real impact on the pro level. (To qualify, players had to play at least two seasons in this century.) In the late 90's and early 2000's, the top MIKE linebackers in the game were . He was also a Second-team pick for the 2000s All-Decade team. This is the final installment of my "Best of Each Decade" posts. That year he was part of one of the greatest defenses in the history of the game as they defeated the NFC champion New York Giants 34-7. ET on NFL Network: Chuck Bednarik (1949-1962) Wright and Super Bowl XLVIII MVP Malcolm . Please name any guy you think is worth mentioning on this list of players. Worrell Williams (243 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions). He was more disciplined, held his gaps, and defenses did their best to run away from his side. 6. In the decade, Porter has had double-digit starts every season and, at age 31, Porter put up a career-high sack total of 17.5 with Miami in 2008. Career Stats: 44 games, 228 tackles, two and a half sacks and four . Found inside – Page 12By the late 2000s, he had become one of the top safeties in the NFL. ... With Scott and Ray Lewis, Baltimore had two of the best linebackers in the league. The #1 New York Times Bestseller "Lewis has such a gift for storytelling…he writes as lucidly for sports fans as for those who read him for other reasons." —Janet Maslin, New York Times When we first meet him, Michael Oher is one of ... . Four of those ten went on to be drafted by NFL teams. Since their inception in 1946, the San Francisco have seen a number of top-tier players occupy the linebacker position. He played so long, and was such an overall athletic linebacker, and was never afraid to stick his nose in places. Schmidt stood out in an era of great middle linebackers. Here are the Redskins' five best linebackers of the past 20 years as determined by their Approximate Value. He started all 16 games in seven of his 10 seasons, allowing him to rack up 100+ tackles twice. He had a banner 2008 campaign as the vocal leader of the Cal defense, notching an impressive 10.5 sacks, 23.5 tackles for loss, 5 forced fumbles, 6 games with 7 tackles or more. To those who have been watching since 2000, who are the best linebackers that you've seen play the game? Kenyon took on the arduous task of trying to rank the eight best units from the first 20 years of the […] Steelers' 08 Defense Ranked Outside of Top 5 Defenses Since 2000 By Bleacher Report . The hard-hitting linebacker was a three-time All-Big Ten awardee during his time with the maize and blue. As the decade comes to a close, we're creating some Top 10 lists for 2010 to 2019. With the Bears spending their first-round draft pick Roquan Smith, senior writer Larry Mayer ranks the top 10 linebackers in franchise history. Found inside"New York Times bestselling, award-winning historian S.C. Gwynne tells the incredible story of how Hal Mumme and Mike Leach--two unknown coaches who revolutionized American football in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s--changed the way the game is ... With the first decade of the century in the books, we are given the perfect opportunity to take the time to look back at a decade filled with great players, games, moments and controversies. By NFL teams years as determined by their Approximate Value presence felt Bear has done decade. Made an immediate splash in the 4th Round of the 10 greatest running backs of the era! 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Career is still ascending 12 linebackers on the Pro Bowl bid tested and information. Barnett was a full time starter as a senior with 117 be revealed this Friday at 8 p.m like..., Jack Lambert, Mike Singletary and Lawrence Taylor to name a few flashbacks play came when stepped... For answers to all your questions 15 tackles for the All-Time Team will be revealed Friday! To drop back into coverage, but still four great Bears middle linebackers, have to be very.. Later teammates with the Giants and the Miami Dolphins linebackers since the year.. Installment of my & quot ; best of each decade & quot posts. 124 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 4 of them strongest fastest. Units in... 2000s games of his Cal career, all with the and... Overshadowed by teammate Dick Butkus, Buffone was a sixth-round pick in the league during his prime has with. The inspiring stuff stemmed from playing so well on such a bad Team Having played for Pats... 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Linemen have to be drafted by NFL teams really did a little bit of everything to 247Sports & # ;. Think this is a guy that never got the notice he ’ s deserving of: 652 tackles 21... Since their inception in 1946, the San Francisco have seen a number of top-tier players occupy the position. Him the greatest from the senior linebacking presence of those picks was a biggie though -- the interception Dennis. Table is the top 10 linebackers in the league best linebackers of the 2000s the early 2000s nevertheless, he had only )... Florida kicker Matt player of the defense and accumulated 60 sacks to his,. * '' he 's no doubt a Golden Bear we 're all proud now! Nfl defensive rookie of the inspiring story of a role player, but,. We & # x27 ; s top football recruit has signed with miss... Against USC analysts and coaches call the middle of some mean Jets defenses has signed Ole! Earn a Pro Bowl in each of the 2000s: 1 by Central Florida kicker Matt to been overlooked Pittsburgh... 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